When New Jersey residents are diagnosed with certain forms of cancer, it can impact them in myriad ways. For many, they are unable to work as they are undergoing treatment or as a direct result of the disease. In these instances, it might be possible to be approved for Social Security disability benefits for illness.
When applying, there are certain points to remember concerning how the cancer is evaluated, what evidence is needed for the application for benefits to be approved, and how the treatment can impact the claim. With these cases, it is important to have legal help. With cancer, the Social Security Administration will consider the cancer’s origin; how extensive the involvement is; the anticancer therapy, the person’s response to it, and its duration and frequency; and how post-therapeutic impact the person.
For evidence, the SSA will need medical evidence specifying the cancer, where it is located, its extent and its type. Should it be impossible to document the primary site, evidence to document the site or sites of its metastasis to evaluate the person’s impairment. When there is an operation – including the need to aspirate with a needle or a biopsy – the SSA needs the operative note and a pathology report. Once the SSA receives this information, a summary of the hospitalization is sufficient. There must also be details of what the surgical procedure finds and, if available, the pathological findings. Evidence of its recurrence, persistence and its progression might be needed.
After a cancer diagnosis, the person’s focus should be on getting the appropriate treatment and doing whatever is possible to get well. When concerned about work, paying for medical care, and getting treatment, thinking about making ends meet can hinder those goals. SSD benefits can help to cover the person while getting treatment. A law firm that understands Social Security disability for cancer can be of assistance in a case.
